


The Bucket List

by Shy40



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Romance, Slow Burn, bethyl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-09 22:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6926407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shy40/pseuds/Shy40
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth Greene may be a small town farm girl but that doesn't mean she hasn't thought about traveling the world. Daryl Dixon has left his life in GA to move to the city to follow his redneck brother around. After all he has been through he simply wants one thing, a nice girl to marry. Daryl offers to help Beth see the world in exchange for her help in finding him a decent wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Small Towns and Big Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first time writing fanfiction, so please let me know what you all think.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Momma, what time did you tell Ms. Beverly I would be over to babysit?"

Annette looks at her daughter and wonders how she grew up so fast, "Beth, honey, I told her you would be at her house at 5 o'clock sharp."

Beth Greene is not your average teenage girl. She is a servant to others, always has been. She spent all last summer serving in a homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta. 19 years of living and she has never experienced more joy than giving her time to serve those who just needed a little love. Beth Greene has always had a big heart but she also has very big dreams.

Ever since she was a little girl with those big blue doe eyes and her blonde pigtails the list of jobs she wanted to pursue varied: she had wanted to become an astronaut, a princess, a famous singer, an archeologist, and last but not least a teacher. She has always been an explorer even since she took her first steps. Her daddy likes to constantly tell the story of how a few days after she learned to walk, she went missing. He yelled for Annette and demanded Maggie and Shawn to help him find his baby girl. It turned out that little bitty Beth had wandered to the barn in search of watching their beautiful brown horse eat hay. Hershel was relieved to say the least but he has always kept an eye out for his little one because he knew from that moment on that she was a brave girl with big ambitions and a curious mind.

It was 4:30 and Beth was getting ready to head to Griffin to babysit for Ms. Beverly. "Bye momma, bye daddy! I'm heading over to watch Luke." Both parents gave her a hug and told her to drive carefully.

She got in her beat up truck and turned up the music. Beth has never had a favorite genre of music but recently she has recently been listening to a lot of folk music.

Hold your horses now  
(Sleep until the sun goes down)  
Through the woods we ran  
(Deep into the mountain sound)  
Hold your horses now  
(Sleep until the sun goes down)  
Through the woods we ran

As Beth sang along with the radio she realized that she had never seen the mountains. In fact, she's never seen a lot of things.

Traveling to all fifty states has always been on her bucket list. Fifty states and she has only been to one, the one in which she lives. Beth has always loved being a farm girl in the small town of Senoia, Georgia but she has been getting real tired of spending all her time in just one location when there is so much of the world to see. "God, please help me be able to travel the world. Please lead me in the direction you have planned for me." She prays constantly because she has grown up in a believing household and she believes just as much as her Momma and Daddy. Her Daddy always says, "If you don't have hope then what's the point of living." God has always been her hope especially after she attempted suicide a few years back. That was in her past and she tries to avoid they topic because her parents where so disappointed in her but what most people don't know, she was disappointed in herself. Her parents just lost their son in a tragic car accident just a week ago and here Beth was trying to find a way out because the pain was too much. Shawn had always been her best friend. He was protective, he was funny, but most importantly he was always there to listen to her. When she lost him she blamed God and she did not want to continue living without her big brother. She was so ashamed of herself for even contemplating doing such a thing and she was even more ashamed that she blamed God for taking her brother. God has a plan for everybody and she soon realized that, instead of being mad she was simply thankful God gave her Shawn for the fifteen years she got to spend with him.

Her mind was racing the entire drive over to the Beverly household and once she finally arrived she put those thoughts to rest. Knocking on the door, Beth realized that there was a motorcycle parked in the Grimes' driveway. She had never seen it there before. 

"Hmm wonder who that could be," she whispered quietly to herself.

The door finally opened and their stood Ms. Beverly wearing a red strapless dress and high heels. She could hear chatter coming from the living room and she quickly recognized the voices to be Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. Ms. Beverly invited her inside and motioned her towards the living room. Inside she noticed Rick and Lori sitting on the couch. She greeted them politely and realized that there was another individual in the room. He was standing against the wall. He had brown shaggy hair and beautiful blue eyes. He was staring at her with so much intensity that it made her heart skip a beat. She gave the man a small smile, "Hi there, I'm Beth Greene."

"It's a pleasure to meet ya ma'am. M' name is Daryl."


	2. Locked Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to let me know what you think!

How did he get trapped into this? Okay. So it was his own fault.

He spent the last two years of his life following Merle around. He was sick of it.

The routine for a typical day included: sleeping in until noon, keeping guard for his brother as he dealt drugs, spent the night in some random bar getting wasted, and occasionally there were a few meaningless one- night stands thrown into the mess called his life. Somewhere along the way he realized that he was done. Done with Merle, done standing guard, and done hooking up. It just wasn’t the type of guy he was—he got involved because Merle would call him a sissy and harass him constantly if he didn’t.  
What Merle didn’t know was that Daryl wouldn’t sleep with the girls that he sent his way. Women deserved to be treated better than hooking up with a random stranger in some bar bathroom. Daryl would pay the girls to tell Merle that he slept with them. It wasn’t that Daryl didn’t think these women were attractive it was just the idea of hook-ups never made sense to him. It always left people heartbroken and empty afterwards. There was a time in his life when he was younger that he had taken part in meaningless sex. He didn’t see the wrong in it then because love was never present in his home. 

When Daryl was in his mid- 20s he met the local Sheriff, Rick Grimes. His brother had taken part in a drunken fight over some girl he just met. Typical Merle, always thinking of his booze and women. Rick and Daryl became close friends and over time Daryl finally realized what Rick and Lori had was true love. He would make fun of the two for all the googly eyes they would make at each other. The hand holding and public kissing were just plain ridiculous. He didn’t need to see that. However, deep down he knew that is what he wanted. He wanted to be someone’s husband. He wanted to take his wife on long walks, holding her hand. He wanted to grab and kiss her whenever he pleased. He wanted someone to confide it. Most of all he wanted to love someone and receive their love in return. The emotion was one Daryl never learned and quite frankly he didn’t know if he was capable of it but he sure wanted to try. 

Daryl wanted to find a woman who would love him for who he was, a Dixon. Growing up he always heard the townspeople whisper about how worthless his family was. He didn’t need to hear them in order to know the truth. He always knew he was nobody, nothing, because his father and Merle reminded him constantly. He was sick of it. He knows how he ended up back in Georgia but he can’t really remember how he ended up on double date with Rick and Lori. Daryl briefly remembers telling Rick that he wanted to settle down; Rick must have opened his big mouth to Lori. 

The woman was attractive but she seemed too much like the women in his past. She also had a kid. Daryl treated Carl and Judith like his own—they were his family. Was he willing to settle down and marry a woman with a kid? He didn’t think so. Daryl had respect for this woman but he wanted a wife who he could share their first child together with. The night was a blur and finally they were on their way home. He let his mind wander after the long night he had. Daryl couldn’t help but think of that beautiful blonde back at Sam’s house…or was her name Susie. He realized that he spent his night with a woman whose name he couldn’t even remember. Real nice, Dixon. He may have not remembered this woman’s name but he had no trouble remembering the sweet blonde. Beth. Beth Greene. In his life, he has crossed paths with a lot of women but he can’t remembering seeing anyone prettier than her. She may have looked like an angel to him but he pushed those thoughts away because she was just a girl. The thought alone made him uneasy.  
As the car pulled into Susie’s drive he quickly unbuckled and mumbled a goodbye. “Wait,” she shouted. “Don’t you want to come inside for a bit?” What? No. He didn’t want to spend any more time with her. The thought of catching a peak at Beth almost changed his mind…almost. He just couldn’t lead this woman on. Merle would call him all sorts of names for refusing this woman’s company. Merle wasn’t here, he left him in Houston. Daryl looked to the Grimes’ house, “Nah, I better get goin’.” Sam or was it Susie, looked disappoint but softly gave him a peck on the cheek and headed to her home. Daryl walked to where he parked his motorcycle and lit a cigarette. It was a stupid habit he picked up as a teenager. He got lost in his thoughts when heard footsteps coming his way.

“Excuse me?” There it was again, that sweet voice. 

He looked up and noticed her. There she was in her overalls, hair pulled high in a ponytail, and checks slightly blushed. She spoke again, “I know we just met earlier but I was wondering if I could borrow your phone?” Didn’t all kids have phones these days? She must have felt the need to explain because she continued speaking, “I locked my keys in my truck and I need to call my daddy. I just hate to wake him up. How in the world did I manage to lock my keys in my truck?” 

He was amused, the girl just kept rambling. He cleared his throat hoping that would make her stop. Daryl knew how to get into a car without having the keys. He noticed the windows were down on her truck; he told her to stay put as he returned to the Grimes' household. He grabbed and hanger and walked outside and grunted a, “come on,” as he passed the girl. She followed behind and watched him successfully open the truck door. She beamed at him. “Thank you so much! Where did you learn to do that?” He was not going to tell her about the time Merle stole a car and he kept watch, instead he shrugged. “Learned when I’s young. It’s nothin’,” was all he could manage to say. Since when did he feel the need to explain himself? Her smile fell. She quickly responded, “Well I don’t think it was nothing. So tell me, what do I owe ya?” Women in the past offered him all sorts of things but looking at Beth Greene, he realized her intentions were innocent.

“Nah, you don’t owe me anything’.” He turned to walk away when he heard her call his name. He looked back, “Could I treat you to lunch tomorrow?” Well he didn’t have any plans. He looked at the hopeful girl and realized then that he wouldn’t be able to turn her down so he nodded. “If that is what you want.” She smiled that small smile and said, “Of course that’s what I want, Daryl. It’s the least I can do for you since you were so kind and helped me get back in my truck.” She paused, “Meet me at Dogs BBQ tomorrow at one.” He nodded in response. She tried to hide her yawn but he could tell she was tired. She quietly said goodnight and drove away. He couldn’t help watching her truck drive down the road.

Tomorrow he was having lunch with Beth Greene. The thought alone made his lip twitch.


	3. The Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

Beth Greene had never been as bold as the night she asked Daryl to lunch. 

Growing up she was always referred to as Maggie's little sister or Hershel's youngest daughter. People always loved Maggie because she was so outgoing and Shawn was Prom King. Beth was different, she was often shy and quite. However, there was just something about that man that made her want to talk.

Beth spent all morning deciding what to wear. She kept telling herself it wasn't a date, simply a thank you gift. Daryl would never want someone like her, he probably thinks she is just some immature child. Yet she still wants a friend and Daryl is intriguing. After thirty minutes of shifting through her clothes she decided to go with a light blue maxi dress. It was casual but pretty. She threw her hair up in her typical ponytail and braided a small section. She didn't know why she did it but it became a part of who she was so she always made sure to include it.

At twenty minutes 'til one she left her house and headed towards Newnan. Daryl looked like the kind of man to eat barbeque and Dog's had the best tasting chicken tenders around, that's why she choose that particular restaurant. She arrived at twelve fifty-five and didn’t see Daryl’s motorcycle anywhere. Maybe he wasn't going to show.  
But then she heard the loud rumble of a motorcycle coming down the street and she knew it had to be him. She walked over to where he parked and greeted him. They both walked to the door while asking how the other was doing. Daryl was quite the gentleman, holding open the door as she walked through. She couldn't help but look at him, really look. His hair was a little messed up from his helmet; he wore dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and boots. He was handsome, there was just no denying it.

They were seated at a booth and discussed matters such as: where he was from, what were her hobbies, how long has he been riding motorcycles and such. Daryl was a quiet man who responded to her questions in very short sentences sometimes he just spoke a word or two. Beth soon realized that she was rambling but she didn't want lunch to end just yet so she decided to ask him a very personal question.

"Daryl, what is your biggest dream that you hope to achieve?" He looked up from his food and shrugged. "Wha's yours," he quietly muttered. She knew he probably wasn't going to answer so she responded.

"I've always wanted to see all fifty states." She looked down, slightly embarrassed, when she heard him, "How many have ya seen?" She sighed, "Does Georgia count?" He smirked. "Your tellin' me that ya never been to any other state?" She mumbled a quite no. "Why?" Why had she never been anywhere? Well her dad used to be an alcoholic, Maggie went through a rebelling stage, Shawn died, Beth cut herself, and the idea of her family ever traveling blew out the window. She didn't know how to explain so she just responded with, "Never had the chance." He gave her an intense look and the next words that came out of his mouth left her slack jawed.

“What if I helped ya achieve your dream?"

Wait. What did he just say? Surely she misinterpreted what he offered.

She stuttered out a, "What?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and she could see the tips of his ears were bright red. Still looking down he muttered, "Yeah, I mean I've seen them all except New York, Alaska, and Hawaii." This man that she just met is giving her a chance to do what she always wanted. She couldn't possibly go, could she? Beth didn't really think it through but she responded anyways, "alright!" She had no reason not to trust Daryl. He seems like a good man and she has always been a good judge of character.

She is planning a trip across the United States. She is planning a trip across the United States with Daryl... Beth realized that she doesn't even know his last name. "Hey Daryl?" “Mhm?” "What's your last name?" She waited until he replied. "Dixon." She smiled and offered her hand. "Well Daryl Dixon I am awful glad I met you. I sure am looking forward to traveling with you." She paused, "I must ask one more question though, you’re not a serial killer are you?"

\------------------------------------------

He smirked. There was just something about Beth Greene that was so much different than any other person he met. "Nah Greene, I'm not some creep looking to lure young girls in." 

She smiled and said, "Okay so when do we leave?"

This girl doesn’t fail to amaze him. 

He ended up paying for the bill even though Beth insisted she would get it, he would not let her. While walking towards the door he calmly asked, “Shouldn't ya ask your parents first?" She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, “I'm not a kid, Daryl. I'm going on this trip and I don't have to get permission.” 

Okay so he’ll have to remember that little Miss Beth has a temper. She’s cute when her face is all red with anger. Well she’s cute period. He nodded. “Okay but would ya please inform them what’s going on so the cops don’t come looking for me?” She crossed her arms and nodded. He walked her to her truck and said, “How bout we leave Friday?” The sooner the better right? He couldn’t believe that he even offered to take her. He doesn’t have anything better to do and plus he still wants to settle down and get married. Maybe he’ll find that perfect woman he’s looking for on this trip. Who knows maybe Beth could even help him. He offered to help her achieve her dream maybe she will offer to help him achieve his. 

Beth Greene gave him the brightest smile he has ever seen and with a breathless voice she responded, “Friday sounds perfect.” They exchanged numbers and he gave her a small wave as he walked back to his bike. As she got ready to leave the parking lot she braked and shouted out her window, “Mr. Dixon, you better start packing that suitcase of yours.” He smirked as she honked and drove away. 

What was this girl doing to him? Friday he was leaving to head on a journey to complete some girl’s bucket list. Okay so she wasn’t just some random girl, she was Beth Greene. He still can’t believe he offered to do this. But he was going to make sure that Beth achieved her dream and he was hoping that he would be able to find a woman to settle down with and marry. Maybe just maybe this trip was going to be the best for both of them.


	4. Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's reveals a little bit of his backstory and the two begin their trip :)

Beth knew her parents would not approve at first of her spontaneous trip but she finally convinced them that she needed to do this. After Beth tried to opt out she would not leave her room for days. She just knew that traveling was what she always wanted to do and she was ready to see the world. She explained to her parents who she was going with and they seemed to settle down.

She wondered if her parents knew him but she was not going to question it. They were trusting her and she was trusting Daryl. Her mom and dad had only one request before she left, invite Mr. Dixon to dinner, so she did.

The night before she left on her big trip, Daryl stopped by. He introduced himself to Mr. and Mrs. Greene and they all sit down and ate a big supper. Beth could not help but sneak small glances at the man sitting across from her. She just wanted to know everything about him and hopefully this trip will provide her the opportunity to do so. She is not one bit worried about this adventure because she trusts Daryl wholeheartedly, she knows that he is a good person.

As everyone finished their dessert, Hershel asks to speak with Daryl outside. She can’t help but wonder what her daddy is talking to him about. Will her refuse to let Daryl take her? Is he telling him about her past? Is he scolding him for asking her to go with him? As she bites down on her lip she hears the screen door open and the men walk back in. She looks to Daryl and his face is void from any emotion but her daddy is smiling that must be good, right?

“Bethy, I was just telling Daryl about the time when we thought you went missing."

“Oh daddy, you didn’t have to tell him that,” she acclaimed. She knew she was blushing. Beth looked to Daryl who seemed to find this whole interaction quite interesting because he had one eyebrow raised and a slight tug on his lips. Hershel filled the silence, “Beth why don’t you tell Daryl goodnight and then go to bed and get some rest. Morning will be here before you know it.”

Beth knew her daddy was right but she did not want to see Daryl leave, she was having a good night. She walked him out to his motorcycle.

“Hey Daryl.”

“Yah Beth?”

“What were you and my daddy talking about?”

He looked to the ground and mumbled, “ ‘s just telling me to look out for ya on our trip.” 

She had the feeling he was holding back but she was not going to nag him about it instead she gave him a small hug, which surprised them both, and told him she would see him in the morning. As she walked back to the house she found herself smiling. Tomorrow was the day that her life was going to change.

 

Daryl got a call from Beth telling him that her parents wanted to meet him. Well that should be expected, right? He was determined to make this trip the best for her, it’s just something that he felt like he should do. 

Daryl used to be a park ranger in the famous Yosemite National Park. He was going on his tenth year of being a park ranger when a child in the park went missing. Her name was Sophia and she had blonde hair and freckles according to the picture her mom showed him. Daryl guessed that she couldn’t be over 10 years old. Daryl knew that he was capable of finding her. He had been an expert on tracking and hunting ever since he was a little boy. That’s about the only good thing his no good father ever taught him to do. Carol, the little girl’s mother, came to him as soon as she realized her daughter was missing. She was frantic but Daryl made a promise to her that he was going to find her girl. He quickly called 911 and requested for search teams. As soon as he hung up the phone he demanded for Carol to point him in the direction she last saw her daughter. Daryl began to track her trail as the sun started to set. He knew he couldn’t track in the dark so he climbed a tree and rested for the night. As soon as daylight broke he was off again on the mission of finding Sophia. However, he was too late. Daryl came across the river when he saw a patch of blood on a rock. His stomach sunk and he knew that the situation couldn’t be good. He quickly searched the river when he noticed her small unmoving body. As he got to her he checked for a pulse and realized that the young girl did not make it. It was all his fault. If he would have kept searching in the dark then she wouldn’t be dead. Daryl was never good with talking about his emotions. He resigned from being a park ranger because the pressure was too much. He failed once and he would do it again. His mind never seemed to stop replaying the scene over and over again and thinking about the what ifs. He eventually moved back to Georgia and followed his brother around because he did not know what else to do with his life. Merle always seemed to be doing something and Daryl just needed to get his mind off of the terrible situation that occurred. 

The reason he decided to help Beth was because he couldn’t help Sophia. That little girl would never grow up and get to check things off her bucket list. She died and it was his fault. Maybe he was being given a second chance at making things right. He could do this, he knew he could. He needed to help Beth. When Hershel Greene asked his intentions of taking his baby girl all across the country he told him the truth. He asked politely for Hershel not to tell Beth, he would not accept her pity. Her father was a man of honor and he knew he could trust him to keep his secret safe. 

When Beth hugged him goodnight, he didn’t know what to think. He cannot remember a single time in his life when someone hugged him. He really didn’t know how it worked so he just put his arms on her elbows, holding her against him. Beth pulled away and he could tell she was slightly embarrassed. Oh well. They were going to have to get to know each better if this trip was going to work. He mumbled his goodnight and rode off in the moonlight. 

Morning came faster than expected and Beth could barely contain her excitement. It was seven and she was sitting on her porch with a mug of coffee and her suitcases sitting next to her. She saw a blue truck coming down the road and assumed it was Daryl. She quickly got to her feet and raced to meet the driver of the truck. Daryl literally looked like he just rolled out of bed but that did not stop the butterflies from flying around in her stomach. She rambled about how excited she was as he remained silent. She made a mental note that Daryl was most certainly not a morning person. She invited him in for breakfast where her momma was making pancakes and her daddy was reading the newspaper. Hershel looked up and greeted Daryl and he mumbled a good morning back. 

After everyone ate as much as their stomachs could hold, Beth and Daryl said their goodbyes. The two discussed that they would be gone for about a year and Beth promised her parents that she would stay in contact. As Daryl and Hershel packed her suitcases in his truck she hugged her Momma one more time. Annette took her by surprise and gave her a new Nikon camera and told her to take a lot of pictures while she was gone.

Beth did not go to college right after she graduated, it was something she never really considered. She was finally going to put college tuition to use and this trip was going to be remarkable. Daryl said that the first place she should see was Florida. He said it was beautiful, so the first stop on the trip was going to be the Sunshine state. Beth was in charge of the radio and she was humming along with her song choice. 

“Sing.” She looked to him and asked, “Are you serious?”

“Wouldn’t say it, if I didn’t mean it.” Ok, he asked her to sing so that is what she did.

see under water and  
The wind, the wind is the only sound

Take your hand and I go under  
I'm wandering about  
Take your hand and I go under  
I'm wandering about

On the river  
I'm floating in on the water  
I'm diving into the ocean  
A thousand black water lilies

 

As the song came to an end she asked what he thought. Beth was a little bit nervous to hear his reaction but she was surprised when he grunted, “ ‘s nice.” 

Somewhere along the way Beth fell asleep and she was woken with a slight tap on her shoulder. She looked around and saw palm trees and she turned to Daryl and smiled.

“Thought you would want to stop and get ya some Florida orange juice. Never personally had any but I heard it’s the best,” he stated.

She batted her eye lashes at him, “Well Mr. Dixon, we must try this orange juice.”

Beth hopped out of the car and started to follow Daryl but she stopped. “Wait Daryl, we have to get a picture in front of the sign!”

Daryl shook his head. Nope she was not going to have it. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the Welcome to Florida sign. He was being childish and mumbling under his breath. “Beth, do ya want ya camera to break?” She looked at him confused, not understanding what in the world he was talking about. He must have realized he needed to explain further because he continued, “that’s what’s gonna happen if I’m in the picture.” Oh. So he had a since of humor, she laughed. As she politely asked someone to take a picture. Daryl stood on one side and she stood on the other smiling as Daryl frowned. Well he looked real happy.

As they tried the orange juice she would have to agree that it was simply the best and she couldn’t help but wonder what Daryl thought of it so she asked him. He replied with a, “ ‘s good.” My goodness this trip was going to be a long one especially if he only spoke two words the whole time. 

“Where are we going?” The curiosity was killing her. 

He would not answer her. The quietness consumed them once again but it was not awkward, it was comfortable. Beth watched as the palm trees passed by.

“Daryl, where are we going? She was impatient, she just wanted to know.

“ ‘s a surprise.” 

Okay so that’s how this was going to go. She grinned at him and turned her head to look back out the window. She knew that agreeing to go on this trip was quite possibly the best decision she has ever made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please continue to let me know how you are liking this story so far.


	5. Southern Beauty and Mess Ups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Beth arrive at their first destination

“Are we going to Disney World?”

Daryl shook his head.

“Miami?”

He remained silent.

“Okay. So we’re going to Miami,” she grinned.

“Don’t get your hopes up, kiddo,” he mumbled.

She frowned. If it’s not Miami then where are we going? 

Beth could tell Daryl was thoroughly enjoying her frustration.   
Daryl opened his mouth and then closed it. 

“What?”

He glanced at her, “Just trust me, okay? We’re almost there.”

She nodded and glanced back out the window. The sign approaching said Orange City. Beth has never heard of it but Daryl asked her to trust him so she will.

Daryl has never seen anyone more anxious in his life than the blonde sitting next to him. He knew she was excited but he wanted this to be a surprise. As he paid the fee to get in the state park he looked over to Beth who was curiously looking at him. He glanced back to the road and said a quick prayer that she would truly love this place. 

As they got out of the car the heat skimmed their skin and the smell was highly intoxicating, in a good way.   
Daryl informed Beth that this was a state park called Blue Springs. He explained how it’s a hidden treasure that many tourist don’t really know about. 

As they approached the walkway, Daryl heard Beth gasp.

“Oh my gosh, Daryl. This is beautiful! How did you know about this? Have you been here before? Wow. It’s stunning.” Beth’s mouth went none stop but he couldn’t help but offer her a small smile. He did not answer her questions but simply asked if she had her swim suit. 

Beth hurried off to get changed and so did Daryl. 

He waited for her and finally she came scurrying around the corner. She had one of those high waist bikinis on that looked like something that came out 1950s but he was not going to complain. She was beautiful. Dixon, get it together. She’s just a kid. He scoffed. 

“Are you ready to go swimming, Mr. Dixon?”

He grunted and led her to the water. 

“DARYL, LOOK! There are Manatees in the water,” she squealed as she pointed in the direction for him to look. 

He briefly looked at the water but his eyes gravitated towards the girl at his side. He couldn’t help the small tug of his lips. She was so happy. I actually did something right.  
He led her to the stairs so she could go in the water. She went in first and he quickly followed. 

“Why didn’t you take this off, it’s like 100 degrees out here?” She tugged at his shirt.

He dunked her under the water, trying to avoid the topic. 

She came back up gasping for air. “Daryl Dixon, that was so rude!”

She splashed water in his face. Well I deserved that, he thought.  
He chuckled. She smiled right back at him.   
They spent most of the day in the water but a few hours before the park closed they went kayaking. Beth seemed to love that and Daryl must admit that he did too.

After they got to the motel they were staying at, they both headed to their separate rooms but not before they exchanged their goodnights. As Beth lie awake staring at the ceiling, she could not think of a more perfect day.

Daryl Dixon was making quite the impact on her and she just met him a week ago.   
As she continued to play the day over and over again in head, her eyes grew heavy and the darkness was slowly enveloping her.

At 5 a.m. sharp her alarm went off. Beth was a morning person, always has been. Growing up on a farm never left much time for resting because of the work load.  
Before she got in the shower she dug through her suitcases trying to find a suitable outfit to wear. She settled with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. As she did her make-up and hair she realized that she hasn’t heard a peep from her redneck companion.

She was going to march herself right to his room and wake him up but as soon as she opened the door she was surprised to find Daryl already awake.   
Daryl was leaning against the railing smoking a cigarette. He turned to look at her and offered a soft, ‘good mornin’. She walked up and looked over the rail at the palm trees. “What are the plans for today?”

Daryl put out his cigarette and showed her a map. “ I’s thinkin’ maybe ya should see St. Augustine.” She raised her eyebrow and he continued, “I hear that it is a historical place. Oldest city in the world.”

As he anxiously awaited for her reply she said, “That sounds nice Daryl. How far from here is it?” 

“About an hour and a half.” She smiled that bright smile that can cheer up a person even on their gloomiest days. 

They checked out of their motel and headed for the oldest city. Beth spent the car ride reading information on St. Augustine.   
“Hey, Beth. Look up. You’re missing the scenery.”

Beth looked up and gasped. The ocean. He knew that this was her first time seeing the ocean.

“I don’t think I have seen anything more beautiful.” She had tears in her eyes.

Daryl never knew how to comfort a crying woman. He honestly didn’t even understand why she was crying in the first place but now he was about to find out.  
“Wha’s wrong?” 

“Oh nothing. I’m just happy.”

They remained silent for a while until Beth spoke up.  
“I never thought I would actually have this opportunity. Thank you, Daryl.”

He shrugged, “Yup.”

As they arrived at St. Augustine Beach, Beth informed him that they were about to cross the Bridge of Lions.  
As they got half way across the bridge the city came in view. Beth’s mouth fell open and Daryl almost had the same reaction. The city was beautiful.   
Everything looked as though it came out of Europe. The orange rooftops. The palm trees. The architecture. The harbor. The fort. It was quite the sight.

“What do ya wanna do first, kiddo?”

“I was thinking that maybe we could go to the fort and then cross the road and see what’s on St. George Street.”

He nodded. Beth practically jumped out of the car and raced towards the fort as Daryl paid the meter. He eventually caught up with her. 

“Daryl, the name of this fort is Castillo de San Marcos. I hope I said that right. Anyways, it’s the oldest masonry fort in the Continental U.S. It’s over 315 years old. This fort is the oldest piece of architecture here in the city…” How in the world did she learn all this stuff in the amount of time it took me to catch up with her?

As they paid for their way in, they walked side by side the entire time. Daryl found the fort quite fascinating. When he was little he always did like learning about history in school, well the times he actually went to school.

As the tour came to an end, Beth began rambling again about St. George Street. As nice of a person Beth seemed to be, she sure could get on a person’s nerves after a while. He decided to stop her. 

“Beth, I’s thinin’ maybe we could split up and look at all the different shops and everthin’.” 

He noticed that her smile fell a little and he could not understand why but she quietly replied, “Okay.”

“You got you’re cell phone with ya?” She nodded “Meet me here in a few hours.” As she began to walk away she threw a, “See ya in a little while,” over her shoulder. 

They were two days in on the trip and Beth was already starting to annoy him. She was a sweet girl but he was just not used to having someone with him almost every hour of the day. Especially someone as young as her. She was absolutely beautiful but he could not be having those thoughts about her.

He was still in the same spot when he saw Beth enter some kind of boutique. Finally getting his feet to move he took off in a different direction. As he walked he saw all kinds of stores and restaurants but none them really appealed to him.

Coming to a stop he walked in to the Adamec Harley-Davidson shop. A tall black haired woman shouted a, “Welcome! If you need any help let us know.”   
As he drifted among the merchandise the woman approached him. She batted her eye lashes and asked how everything was going, she helped him pick out a hat. As he was being checked out the woman asked him if he would like to grab a bite to eat. 

Eat? I told Beth I would meet her in a few hours. “Uh sure.”

Her name was Brooke. She asked where he was from and he told her. He asked her how long she has lived in St. Augustine. The conversation was going pretty easy. She didn’t ramble but she was flirty. 

She led him to a tavern of all places. He ordered a burger and a beer while she ordered the same. 

The inner Dixon in him came out somewhere throughout the night because he ended up in an ally with her pushed against the wall, his lips covering hers. She began running her hands over his chest. Daryl needed something to take his mind off the young girl he left behind and by making out with this woman he thought that would solve the problem. 

However, he realized that he was supposed to meet back up with Beth. Crap. What time is it?

He pulled back and looked at Brooke. She was pretty with her swollen lips and long hair but she was after one thing and he knew it. What am I doing? 

“I gotta get goin’,” he grunted.

She nodded and placed one more kiss on his lips. She whispered, “Will I be seeing you again?”

“‘fraid not.” He walked away.

Beth almost went in every store on St. George Street. This city had so much to offer. She bought a couple dresses and some shorts from the boutiques, a pair of sunglasses, and a hat. 

She don’t really know why but her heart sunk a bit when Daryl told her they should part ways for a little while but it did. He probably was getting annoyed of her.   
She knew he thought she was a child because he called her ‘kiddo.’ But she hoped that he really didn’t think of her that way.

Beth didn’t know if they were going to grab dinner somewhere so she held off eating until she passed the tavern and saw Daryl inside. He was eating with some woman.   
He wanted alone time…but not really? Of course, why would he want to spend his time with me? I don’t even know why he agreed to this trip. Beth was lacking in the confidence area to begin with but Daryl didn’t exactly make matters better.

Beth continued walking and found an ice cream shop. She ordered two scoops of mint chocolate chip, her favorite. She went back to the place where she was supposed to meet Daryl. He told her to be there at 7:30, it was a quarter ‘til. Beth walked back across the road and put some more money in the meter.

The last thing they needed was a ticket. She did not have the keys so she waited a while by the car. As time slowly ticked away she became impatient.   
She walked back over to the fort and found a bench to sit on while watching the harbor. The sun was sitting and they sky was full of oranges and pinks. 

She should call shouldn’t she? Well obviously she wanted to give him the time he so desired to want away from her.   
The sky had become dark and Daryl was still nowhere to be found.

Beth turned back to the water and a little while later someone grabbed her shoulder.

“I thought I told ya to meet me in our designated spot,” He growled.

Really? He was mad at her. He was the one who deserved to be yelled at.  
Daryl was intimidating but she was not going to back down. “I did but you weren’t there,” she all but shouted. 

He pointed a finger at her, “Ya know what, I tried to make this work but you are impossible.”

The ground suddenly became very interesting. He continued, “Ya really are a child. A stupid one at that! Can’t even listen to directions.”

A child…so that’s what he really thought of her. Stupid. That hurt.

She looked up, face void from emotion. She was not going to give Daryl the satisfaction to see that what he said hurt her so she blocked it out.

He stumbled back. “Are you drunk?

“Whaaat? No.” 

“Give me the keys. I am not getting in the car with you while you are under the influence.” He complied. 

In the time Daryl was away doing who knows what, Beth spend her time planning where they were going next.   
Daryl was in an out of consciousness when he finally fell asleep. 

He had no right to be angry with her. She glanced over at him and wondered why he got drunk. She battled her brain wondering what she did to have caused him to be mad at her but nothing came to mind.

These past couple days had been wonderful for Beth but the last few hours ruined everything.  
When they arrived her intended destination she couldn’t help but wonder if she was making the right decision. 

She knocked and waited for a reply.

“Hi, Beth! What are you doing here sweetie?”

“Hello, Mrs. Grimes. Is Rick here by chance?

Mrs. Grimes nodded and went to get him.

“Beth, what’s wrong?”

As she explained what happened Rick nodded and helped Daryl inside. Beth didn’t know where Daryl lived or where he was from but she knew Mr. Grimes would be willing to help.  
Daryl was still passed out and she hated goodbyes so she left. This is what needed to be done.

The trip with Daryl just didn’t work out and that was okay or at least that’s what she told herself.  
Beth put her headphones in and listened to music and she sit on the porch. She couldn’t help the tears that fell as she waited for Maggie to come pick her up.

 

Digging six feet down lay to rest your fears, when the smoke clears  
Digging six feet down lay to rest your fears, when the smoke clears  
When the smoke clears  
When the smoke clears  
When the smoke clears  
When the smoke clears

There is a fire in our eyes  
There's a tyrant in our veins  
Couldn't stand their thin disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this one! 
> 
> Song: When The Smoke Clears- Smoke Season


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